Bangkok Bistro will open Colonie restaurant

The owners of Bangkok Bistro Thai Restaurant and Martini Bar are investing $200,000 to bring their brand to Colonie.

Brothers-in-law Israel “Bobby” Silva and William Phan plan to open a version of their Schenectady restaurant at 1619 Central Ave., a building they own and had leased to Blue Spice, a restaurant that also specializes in Thai cuisine.

In an interesting twist, Blue Spice has operated since January 2010 across the street in the former Garcia’s building at 1614 Central Ave.

The Colonie Bangkok Bistro is undergoing $200,000 in improvements, including a 450-foot expansion with a 10-seat bar, an outdoor patio, a new roof and HVAC system, and other upgrades.

Silva, who is married to Phan’s sister, said the men were introduced to the restaurant business while attending college—Phan at the University at Albany and Silva at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy. Both came to the Albany area from Los Angeles.

Phan, 30 and a former food server at area restaurants, has since graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology.

Silva, who tended bar at Bangkok Bistro in Schenectady under the previous owner, has a few credits left before earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering.

Silva, 29, plans to finish school, but the brothers-in-law have shifted attention to their restaurants.

“Education has always been a big thing for our families. But we always had a dream of opening a business. When this opportunity came, we went for it,” said Silva, whose parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico years ago.

Phan’s parents came here from Vietnam following the Vietnam War.

Schenectady’s Bangkok Bistro was open for two years when Silva and Phan bought it from the original owner in mid-2007. They lease the space at 268 State St. from landlord Viroj Chompupong, Silva said.

The Colonie site has received all the necessary planning approvals for its “significant” renovations and expansion, said Pat Hurley, village clerk and secretary of planning and zoning for the village of Colonie.

A State Liquor Authority spokesman said the owners, operating as Sasha Lee Corp., have been approved for a liquor license that will be issued once the building receives a certificate of occupancy.

At least initially, the menu at the Colonie location will be identical to the one offered in Schenectady.